Tuesday, December 30, 2008

J presents the evening show, weekdays from 7pm-10pm on Trent FM and he caught up with New Kids on the Block.

J: It was all a big whirl wind for you, it was just like all condensed into two or three years, I mean what was it like for you at the time?

A: Oh, it was madness, craziness!

J: I mean you had screaming girls everywhere you went; your hearing must be completely knackered?

A: “What did you say!?” No, No, our hearing’s good, everything’s in tact ‘bro’, you know we’re all healthy, we’re all fit. You know part of the reason this is all working is because we all keep in shape. No one got fat or heavy.

*J: Would the reunion have been off had someone eaten too many Oreo’s? *

A: You know the way we work as a group, getting back together, we would have told that person, hey you gotta get back in shape, get a trainer. I mean we all consciously did it on our own, you know I’ve always kept myself in shape, but you know everyone really made an effort to get in good shape.

J: Just going back, looking back, you didn’t have the kinda paparazzi that they do now in the late 80’s early 90’s, you had the screaming girls, but you were able to have a life as well weren’t you?

A: Not so much man, cos we grew up in Boston and we were to go back home on our time off everyone knew where we lived. So we would go home and there would be 200 people outside you know on a daily basis. The whole paparazzi thing we’re not really worried about, you know what impact that’s going to have this time around because we’re resilient guys, we grew up in the inner cities.

J: And I suppose your mature enough now to deal with it, I think the people though who err kinda pestered with it now kinda get freaked out about it and worry about it too much and your just like ‘whatever’ if they take a picture of me in an uncompromising pose, ‘so be it’.

A: Yep, err, err that’s part of the job. I mean what’s the worst thing they are gonna get, one of us coming out of a club with some girl, or whatever? I mean we’re decent guys.

J: I was looking on eBay earlier on, and I thought, cos all the different merchandise that you guys put out at the time, t-shirts, lunch boxes, slippers, was there anything that kind of you were asked about.. “Ohh I’ve got this idea to put your names on”, and you thought that’s too much?

A: No. Well back in the day, that whole thing was crazy, the whole merchandising thing really wasn’t our choice and it kinda got out of hand. There was a lot of stuff that was crazy. Looking back now its like “What the hell we’re we thinking?”

J: Just on the internet on eBay, there’s annuals, mugs, novels, dolls, a FLEXIDISK! I don’t know what a flexi disk is anymore, and also I nearly bought the whole story by their friends, I don’t know who those friends were, but you can get it for 4.99 on eBay.

But yeah, the reunion, IT’S ON! Whose idea was it? Who made the first phone call?

A: It wasn’t anyone’s specific idea, we’d been approached over the past 14 years by different people to do things, but we were only gonna do it if it was our idea and we wanted to do it and it was based on music. Donny found a song called ‘Click Click Click’, and let everyone here it and we all agreed, let’s get back in the studio and see what happens. We defiantly took it one step at a time and we didn’t get ahead of our selves. We didn’t talk about a tour, we didn’t talk about money, we didn’t talk about any of that stuff, we just wanted to make a good record first.

J: And what did your families say, you know the thought of you being on the road and being in the spot light again?

A: Erm, I think they didn’t really have a grasp on what it was gonna be like, cos I mean I have 4 kids, and I’m a single dad. I sat them down and they were like “Yeah dad, go for it” and now they’re like “We miss you, we miss you” because this is a long stretch of me not seeing them, but right around the corner is the tour and the second week of the tour my kids are gonna come and see three shows and I know, they’re getting how big it is.

J: Did you show them old video footage of you guys back in the day, weather they liked it or not, you were like “SIT DOWN WATCH ME!”

A: No, No, they were curious when all this was happening. My daughters are nine and ten, they’re very curious, my sons are fifteen and sixteen so they weren’t you know as curious, but they were laughing at some stuff, and then like my daughters sing ‘Step by Step’ they love the song and they love the video. They think my hair is a little funny.

J: Eh, I suppose they help you with the routines for the tour as well?

A: Err my kids? No I help them, what are you talking about?

J: Maybe if they see the video and the dance routine, they can go ‘Dad you’re doing it wrong, your supposed to do this, your supposed to do that’.

A: They’re pretty impressed, they didn’t know what to expect, so the performances we have done, they’ve been pretty impressed with like what we’re doing on stage and the tour’s gonna be completely different we’re taking it to a whole new level.

J: Well that’s it; the reaction has just been crazy. I know you did a little gig in London on Monday, fans everywhere, screaming once again and the tour on sale on Friday, the tickets are gonna sell out so quick, I mean I know they have done in the states. What can people expect from this tour?

A: Well the tour we’re doing now, it’s a really good mix of our old hits and a lot of the new stuff. It’s a lot of dancing; it’s a great stage show. We’ve been working for the last many many months and we’re just really looking forward to getting on tour and being able to show the world what we’ve been doing this last four months, putting this together.

J: The tour goes on sale on Friday, we’re looking forward to it, great nostalgic feel, we’re looking forward to the new stuff and the old stuff as well, just everyone’s gonna be really excited.

A: Just so you know, we’re not going to skip over any of the old songs we’re doing all the old hits, ‘cos we know everyone’s been waiting so long and we don’t wanna be that kind of group, where you come to the show and they didn’t play ‘Step by Step’ or ‘Hang Tough’

J: As so long as you can do a few ‘Ohh Ohh Ohh’s’ for us then that will be fine. Donny, Jon thank you so much for dropping by the see us it’s been incredible, all the best for the new album that’s out this week and that’s all already selling thousands of copies and it’s gonna be top five this weekend. All the best!!

THE success of venerable Manband Take That continues unabated, and even a monumentally annoying Christmas advert featuring them cavorting with Twiggy can’t halt record sales.

It’s perhaps understandable then why New Kids On The Block should crave a slice of the pie, lest we forget that Nigel Martin Smith shamelessly created the Manchester five-piece as a British version of the US boyband.

In 2008, where every band containing a vowel in its name (bad luck for those awaiting the V reunion) has reunited, the motto is less: ‘Every dog has its day’ and more ‘Every dog gets buried in a Pet Semetary, ready for its festering corpse to rise up and bark until the end of time’.

It’s been 14 years since the world’s biggest boyband split, replaced by younger models such as Backstreet Boys and N*Sync, yet having sold 80 million records, racked up more number ones than a urinal, and had their faces transplanted onto every conceivable piece of merchandise, was there a fear of desecrating their legacy? That their faces may no longer match the ones on their 1992 Official New Kids On The Block lunchbox?

"There was definitely fears of how would we be perceived," agrees Jordan Knight, speaking to CityLife before performing a gig in Mexico.

"But I felt as long as were fit, as long as we were in shape, as long as we did music that we connected with and it felt sincere, that’s all that we could do.

"To me, it feels really the same. I guess when I look back at old videos; it’s different because the fans were really young. There’s braces everywhere. But it’s the same energy."

Even so, it’s possibly the most unexpected '90s comeback since the recession.

The band were conceived by svengali-like producer Maurice Starr, who had caused waves with R&B teen quintet New Edition, and sought to find a white counterpart to them.

In 1984, he met 15-year-old Donnie Wahlberg who helped him recruit the others: including younger brother Mark (before he exited to be reborn as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch), best friend Danny Wood, falsetto-favouring schoolfriend Jordan Knight, and his brother Jonathan.

Starting so young, did Knight ever feel he lost any of his childhood?

"It was just really exciting," he says. "I mean, there was a lot of things we weren’t ready for, as far as paparazzi, as far as our critics, as far as the negative feedback we were experiencing. But there was a lot of thrills.

"Especially as there was five of us, we got to share it with each other and go through it together. So it was a blast in a lot of ways."

Fulcrum

At the fulcrum of their success, after hits like Hangin’ Tough and Step By Step, they couldn’t go out without being besieged by hordes of hysterical fans.

"We’d have to ask the mall in the local town to stay open half an hour late so we could run in and grab a few things, because we didn’t want to cause a scene," remembers Knight.

"At the start, you try disguises, but the fans don’t fall for them. They see some weirdo coming down the street with big hair and a moustache; or wearing a monkey suit on, they know it’s you.

"I don’t know how they do that, but they can spot you. They can sniff you out."

Did that make the usual teenage rites of passage – everything from drink to consequence-free promiscuity – tricky in the public glare?

"You know, we had fun and we acted our age and we did all the fun things that young guys will do," he insists.

"For sure. Never went too crazy with it, but we had fun. We didn’t miss out of anything."

As their star ascended, constant touring began to take its toll. "Well, there was a point where if you tour too long, it starts getting a little monotonous and boring," he explains.

Treadmill

"Like if you tour too much and stop doing new music, it gets really meaningless and you feel like you’re on a treadmill."

"The thing that probably made us feel the most like a product was the merchandise.

"We were on the road a lot and our manager was singing off anything and everything that had our faces on it. And it was overkill.

"And we did get upset about that. But by the time we had a chance to pull on the reigns; it was too late because our fame was tapering off."

In 1994, they changed their name to the anacronym-tastic NKOTB, which tanked, precipitating the split.

And the ensuring teenagers’ tears could have probably averted a hosepipe ban.

The Surreal Life

Afterwards, Knight released a series of solo albums, as well as appearing on VH1’s The Surreal Life (alongside Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav) and Five TV’s self-explanatory Trust Me....I’m A Holiday Rep (with er, Syd Little and Jodie Marsh).

"I heard some of the other guys say it was hard to settle down after touring and the craziness of being in the public eye and the constant stimulation of that. But for me, it was relief," admits Knight. "I like my privacy. I like to be in calm situations."

With a new album entitled The Block, the increasingly-less-New Kids have roped in the modern R&B A-list: Akon, Timbaland, the Pussycat Dolls and Ne-Yo.

It’s interesting that in an age where the boyband is an anachronism (discounting ersatz-indie such as Busted and McFly, there hasn’t been a successful pure boyband launched in the UK since Blue), people are more inclined to accept married men with children singing songs with titles such as Sexify My Love (really!), rather than a gym-honed 20-year-old with his top off.

"I do think we’re a bunch of good looking chaps, I’ll tell you that much," he disclaims.

From the Boston Herald:Christmas came early for dozens of starry-eyed New Kids on the Block fans, who were gifted with some face time with Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight on the Charlestown set of Donnie’s TNT pilot “Bunker Hill.”Jordan, who visited his bud’s Main Street shoot the other day, snapped photos with giggling gals and signed a ton of autographs. As for Donnie, he gave the female fans props for driving across the Tobin Bridge three dozen times the other morning to watch him film!“You girls are freakin’ crazy! But it’s a good kind of crazy,” the Dorchester homey yelled to his fans.Yesterday, the cameras were due to move to the Lynn Item, which is doubling as a police station for the show.

From the Boston Herald: New Kids on the Block’s Donnie Wahlberg, who’s busy in Beantown shooting the TNT TV pilot “Bunker Hill,” stopping by the Union Oyster House for some seafood and then checking out Sonsie with a group of friends for some pizza and midafternoon snacks...

From the Boston Globe: New Kid Donnie Wahlberg, in town shooting a TV pilot, showed up at Sonsie with a few friends and also dined at the Union Oyster House with a lady friend. Called "Bunker Hill," the pilot for TNT filmed a scene at Joe Milano's landmark restaurant earlier in the week. Wahlberg's costar Bridget Moynahan wasted no time getting to work. Tom Brady's ex filmed a scene on Mead Street in Charlestown the other day.

I just finished my mad hunt for a Christmas tree…It makes me wanna go back to New England, cut my own downand drive it back to LA. You never know how long they’ve been standing there.A week, two weeks? They look good and healthy in the lot, thenya get ‘em home and set it up right over the heating vent and they are brownin a week.

I have an affection for the folks working the lots. I’m pissed that I’m paying that much for a tree, so I start right in with the “highway robbery” jokes, thinking maybe they’ll know I’m on to them and give me a break. I’m not sure if that ever works, but its good for a few laughs and makes it easier when I fork over the money. Now, you must be thinking, you cheap bastard! But its not the money, its just the idea that I’m paying almost $200 (welcome to Hollywood) for something that’s gonna be dead in 2 weeks, plus break my back getting it in the house (I ain’t paying for delivery) and then the thing better look good or I’ll be furious the whole Christmas season looking at it. (Not as mad as my wife is when she is stringing the popcorn and cranberries- she loves how it looks, hates doing it).

But all these guys at the tree lots seem pretty honest. I believe them when they give ya the whole schpiel. And I know they work hard for that dough… standing in the cold all night, luggin’ trees on their back, standing them up for you so you can see it better, listening to you trying to talk them down in price.

Maybe I’m a little biased… My dad used to sell Christmas trees, when he was a laid-off bricklayer. He’d come home after long nights with the money frozen in his hand- my mother would have to pry his hand open. And then he’d fall asleep in the tub, he was so tired. He did what he had to do with 6, 7, 8 kids. What a schmuck I am to worry about anything at all. The question to him is always, “wow, how did ya do it with 9 kids?” And his answer is and always was, “Faith.”

May your tree be green. May your ass be warm. May your faith be strong.

A Safe, Peaceful and Very Merry Christmas, from my family to yours.-jm

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

ComingSoon.net did an interview with Brian Goodman, who co-wrote "What Doesn't Kill You" with Donnie. He talks a little about Donnie. Here are some quotes:

CS: ... was Donnie Wahlberg (the film's co-writer who plays a small role) someone you knew from Boston?Goodman: Donnie I met when I first got out in a high stakes card game. I met Donnie when I first got out of prison years ago, and we became acquaintances for a while and then we just evolved into where… and I don't use this word lightly… but we developed into very close friends.

CS: Was Donnie already into acting himself at that point?Goodman: He was just starting out, 'cause the first audition I went on, I ended up being in the same movie he was already in called "Southie." I had known him but I never even talked to him about the audition or nothing. Just went in on a fluke on a local hire audition thing and I ended up getting a speaking part, and then when I moved to L.A., that's when we became close friends.

CS: Did you and Donnie have any concern about casting New York guys to play the roles?Goodman: No, I wanted the challenge. I really wanted the challenge. I wanted to be able to be afraid, I wanted to be ignited by fear to make it even more interesting. If I went after Donnie's brother Mark or somebody from the neighborhood that would be so on the nose, I felt that would make it less of a challenge. I wanted to get somebody where I knew I could give an opportunity to Mark and show what he was made of, because I think sometimes, all actors are victims of material. We never get the role or something to bite into, and this one here, I knew he could… Mark's a solid, solid actor. And Ethan Hawke, I didn't see anybody else after I knew I wasn't playing that role, and he was better than I would have been. I liked him for it. I hopefully was going to play that role at one point but when I started to realize it's not going to happen, I was going to go a different route, Ethan was the first one I had prayed and hoped for.

Here is another article and photos from the Boston Music Awards from the Boston Globe.

Despite being revamped for its 21st birthday, for a moment Sunday night, the Boston Music Awards felt decidedly old school - more 1988 than 2008. That instant came when New Kids on the Block - yes, those NKOTB - won the award for national act of the year. As two of the all-grown-up Kids, Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight, took the podium on the Roxy stage, the air around them seemed a little surreal.

"We haven't had one of these in a long time," cracked Wahlberg. Twenty years ago, he recalled, the Kids were nominated for a Grammy - and lost to Milli Vanilli. "We'd rather have this any day," he said.

With a few catcalls ringing out from the competition - namely hip-hop artist Termanology's posse, who shouted "Who the [expletive] is that?" when the New Kids (and anybody else who was up against the Lawrence-bred rapper) were announced as winners, Wahlberg broke into a grin and pointed to the source of the taunts. "He's got it next year," Wahlberg said.

When you're part of a group that sold 70 million albums and is in the midst of a highly successful reunion tour, you can afford to be generous. And in fact, Termanology did nab the award for outstanding hip-hop act, and subsequently performed a rousing set to demonstrate why...

Here is an update from the set of "Bunker Hill" from the Boston Globe.

By Mark Shanahan & Paysha RhoneGlobe Staff / December 9, 2008

It was barely 10 a.m., and Donnie Wahlberg was sitting at the bar drinking beer. The New Kid nuzzled a young redhead and then joined a few friends for a game of darts. Welcome to "Bunker Hill," the TNT pilot that began filming yesterday inside the historic Union Oyster House. Owner Joe Milano said the cast and crew pulled up at his place at 5 a.m., and went right to work. "It's kind of like a carnival," whispered Milano, watching Wahlberg and Maria Thayer tape the bar scene. "Bunker Hill," which is being produced and directed by Jon Avnet, is about a Charlestown cop, played by Wahlberg, who returns to Boston to serve and protect his peeps. He costars with Brian Dennehy and actress Bridget Moynahan, better known as Tom Brady's girlfriend before Gisele Bundchen. (Bridget wasn't in the scenes shot yesterday.) In addition to the Oyster House, the pilot's being shot in Charlestown, Chelsea, and at the Tobin Bridge. Avnet, who worked with Wahlberg on "Righteous Kill" and "Boomtown," told us he isn't bothered at all by Boston's frigid weather. "These wimps from LA," the Brooklyn-bred director said, motioning to others in the room. "I like to watch them shrivel up in the cold." Also on set yesterday was Walon Green, the screenwriter whose credits include "Hill Street Blues," "Law & Order," and "NYPD Blue."

New Kids on the Block won the Act of the Year (National) at the Boston Music Awards last night! Jordan and Donnie were there to accept the award. I haven't seen an official photo yet, but a fan was there, and she posted here photos here.

Last night at the 21st Boston Music Awards at the Roxy, New Kids Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight picked up the boy band’s National Act of the Year award. After a crack about not winning a Grammy when Milli Vanilli did, Wahlberg said: “We’d rather have this than a Grammy any day.”

It was cool. The 30-something women became screaming tweens instantly. But it was the only VMA-ish moment of the night.

In fact I’m writing this from heaven (or is it hell? Hard to tell with all the clouds around…..)

Anyway- I am sorry that I died behind the wheel of a car that never crashed… Never wobbled… Never even drifted into a stray lane. I’m really sorry that I let so many people down by dying. Please know that I wish I was still alive too but this dying this is kind of fun.

I left in my will that I want to be cryogenically frozen so I can be brought back to life one day if medicine finds a way to revive me…. So maybe they will find a way to bring back my uninjured, unscathed, unscratched, yet somehow dead body before for our next tour.

And whatever you do… Please don’t look at the car that I was driving on that fateful night- the lack of dents and scratches mean nothing. I did die. I didn’t crash. I didn’t almost crash. But I did die in the non accident.

Thought I'd let you know about an auction for a NKOTB autographed bowl. It is signed by the the group (I don't think see Joey's autograph on there though) and the money raised will benefit Feeding America.

People.com has a poll for the best of 2008 which includes "best comeback". The New Kids are nominated, and you can vote for them here. (I had trouble finding it at first, I put a circle in the screen shot above where you need to click to vote.) Thanks to Justine for the update.

Thank you so much for all your love and support through out the first leg of the tour. This is just the beginning of an amazing journey. I also want people to know I don’t need a rest. I am having the time of my life. I love meeting all of you in meet and greets. I love riding the bus with Donnie. I love the whole experience.

The only negative thing is missing my kids. I am looking forward to spending the Christmas break with them. My daughters have turned into the biggest New Kids fans. We have replaced Miley and the Jonas Brothers. My teenage boys have enjoyed every second of it and both have told me numerous times they are proud of me. It’s not easy balancing my kids, NKOTB, and Halcyon jets. Thank goodness for ichat.

I have so much to be thankful for. I am so thankful you guys are along for the ride. More shows in 2009 to come. Stay tuned.

Anne Lu - Celebrity News Service News WriterLos Angeles, CA (BANG) - New Kids On The Block star Donnie Wahlberg nearly died after falling asleep at the wheel of his car.

The 39-year-old singer - who revealed he is "exhausted" after reuniting with the 90s band for a staggering 49 concerts - briefly closed his eyes while he was driving home following a performance last week.

He said: "I nearly crashed my car last week after the show. I was driving from San Diego to Los Angeles and I had been on the road for three hours. I was so tired that my eyes kept closing. Then I fell asleep at the wheel and it was raining."

"I was like, 'Whoa,' and I have been quiet ever since. I'm so tired."

Donnie isn't the only member of the band to be feeling the pressure of the lengthy tour.

Jordan Knight has revealed the group have employed massage therapists to help them stay relaxed during their grueling schedule.

He added to Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "We have got masseuses as you have got to take care of yourselves!"

Update, 7:48PM: nkotb.com is saying this is just a rumor. (Click here for message.) Thanks to Darlene for the update.